Language/Finnish/Grammar/Finnish-Participles

Finnish → Grammar → Finnish Participles

As a Finnish language teacher with 20 years of experience, I know that learning Finnish can be challenging. However, once you get the hang of it, it can also be a lot of fun! In this lesson, we will focus on Finnish participles and how to use them to form more complex sentences.

Finish this lesson and explore these related pages: Conjunctions & Sami and Karelian Languages.

What are Participles?

Participles are verb forms that function as adjectives, nouns, or parts of verb phrases. Finnish has two participle forms: the active participle and the passive participle.

The active participle is formed by adding the suffix "-va/-vä" to the stem of the verb. For example, the stem of the verb "tanssia" (to dance) is "tanssi-". Adding "-va/-vä" to the stem gives us "tanssiva" (dancing).

The passive participle is formed by adding the suffix "-ttu/-tty" to the stem of the verb. For example, the stem of the verb "katsoa" (to look) is "katso-". Adding "-ttu/-tty" to the stem gives us "katsottu" (looked).

Both the active and passive participles decline like adjectives according to the noun they describe. Let's take a look at some examples:

Finnish	Pronunciation	English
Tanssiva nainen	[tɑnsːivɑ nɑi̯nen]	Dancing woman
Katsottu elokuva	[kɑtsotːu elokuʋɑ]	Watched movie

In the first example, "tanssiva" (dancing) is a description of the noun "nainen" (woman). In the second example, "katsottu" (watched) is used as an adjective to describe the noun "elokuva" (movie).

Using Participles to Form Sentences

Participles can be used to form more complex sentences in Finnish. They can be used in a variety of ways, including:

Relative Clauses

Participles can be used to form relative clauses, which are subordinate clauses that describe or provide additional information about a noun or pronoun in the main clause. In Finnish, relative clauses are formed using the conjunctions "joka" or "mikä", which mean "who" or "which".

For example:

• "Näin juuri sen miehen, joka auttoi minua." (I just saw the man who helped me.)
• "Lainaamani kirja, jonka kanssa olin aiemmin ongelmissa, osoittautui mielenkiintoiseksi." (The book I borrowed, which I had trouble with earlier, turned out to be interesting.)

In both of these examples, the relative clause is formed using a participle ("auttoi" - helped, "lainaamani" - borrowed).

Compound Verbs

Participles can also be used to form compound verbs in Finnish. Compound verbs are formed by combining a verb with a participle, which can either be active or passive.

For example:

• "Laitan astiat tiskikoneeseen." (I put the dishes in the dishwasher.)
• "Olen unohtanut antaa sinulle kirjan takaisin." (I have forgotten to give you back the book.)

In both of these examples, the compound verbs are formed using a participle ("tiskikoneeseen" - into the dishwasher, "antaa" - give) combined with a verb ("laitan" - put, "olen unohtanut" - have forgotten).

Adverbial Phrases

Participles can also be used to form adverbial phrases, which function as adverbs to describe how, when, where, or why an action is performed. Adverbial phrases formed using participles are often used to show simultaneous or consecutive actions.

For example:

• "Aamupalaa syöden luen aina sanomalehden." (I always read the newspaper while eating breakfast.)
• "Valioliigaa katsoen unohdin kokonaan ajan kulun." (Watching the Premier League, I completely lost track of time.)

In both of these examples, the adverbial phrase is formed using a participle ("syöden" - eating, "katsoen" - watching).

Conclusion

In conclusion, participles are an important part of Finnish grammar that can be used to form more complex sentences. Once you get the hang of how to use them, you will be able to express yourself more precisely and eloquently in Finnish.

I hope this lesson has been helpful in your journey to learn Finnish! If you have any questions or feedback, please feel free to leave a comment below.

Sources

• The 5 Finnish Participles - Overview - Uusi kielemme
• Partisiipit / The Participles - The Finnish Teacher
• Want to learn advanced Finnish grammar? Learn the participle
• Finnish verb conjugation - Wikipedia

Well done on mastering this lesson! Don't miss these related pages to expand your knowledge: Indefinite Articles in Finnish & Finnish Nouns: Inflection and Gender.

Other Lessons

• Adjectives
• Asking Directions in Finnish
• Finnish Verb Tenses
• Conditional Mood
• Negation
• Basic Finnish Phonetics
• The Finnish Alphabet
• Conditional Tense
• How to Use Have
• Present Tense